Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Using natural solvents
• Method 2 of 4: Using an unblocker
• Method 3 of 4: Using a sewer spring
• Method 4 of 4: Using a wet and dry vacuum
• Tips
• Warnings

A clogged or partially clogged sink drain is a common household problem often caused by build-up of hair and care products, blocking the drain. Most people hope to fix the problem quickly with toxic chemicals, but there are a lot of non-caustic and healthier remedies that can often solve the problem as well.

To step

Method 1 of 4: Using natural solvents

1. Gather your supplies. Instead of using commercially available chemical drain cleaners, which are often caustic and can cause allergic reactions and respiratory problems, try using household products you probably already have around the house. You need the following:
   • Cloths
   • Baking soda
   • Vinegar
   • Lemon
   • Boiling water
2. Measure out the correct quantities of the ingredients you need. Take 75 grams of baking soda, 250 ml of white vinegar and 1 large pot of water for cooking. Make sure you also have a cloth or a drain plug handy.
3. Pour the baking soda down the drain. Make sure that most of the baking soda falls down the drain and does not remain in the sink.
4. Pour the vinegar down the drain. You may hear a bubbling sound and see bubbles rise from the chemical reaction. This is completely normal and means that the chemicals will eat away the blockage in the drain.
5. Close the drain with a cloth or drain plug. As a result, the bubbles will no longer rise and the chemical reaction will only take place near the blockage.
6. Wait 15 minutes. Let the baking soda and vinegar do their job. While you wait, heat up the pan with water until the water boils.
7. Pour the boiling water down the drain. This will rinse away the baking soda, vinegar, and blockage. When you pour the water down the drain, see if the water drains faster. The drain may still be partially clogged if the water is draining faster, but that still isn't happening as quickly as usual. In this case, try to repeat the process again.
   • Before pouring the boiling water down the drain, you can also squeeze the juice of a lemon down the drain, especially if the sink is foul-smelling. A sink drain often gets clogged by hairs, which eventually rot and smell bad. With this extra step you neutralize the dirty air and help to further break down the material that clogs the drain.

Method 2 of 4: Using an unblocker

1. Gather your resources. For this method you only need a flashlight and a plunger. At a hardware store you can buy a smaller drain cleaner specifically designed for sinks, but a well-cleaned toilet drain cleaner works just as well.
2. Take out the drain plug. This step is very important or else you will just move the plug up and down with your plunger instead of loosening the blockage and pulling it up.
   • With your hands, pull the drain plug up out of the drain as far as it will go. Then turn the plug counterclockwise and keep unscrewing it until it is completely loose.
3. Turn on the tap. Fill the sink with a little water so that the drain is just covered. Two or three inches of water is fine.
4. Create a vacuum with the suction cup of the plunger. Place the suction cup of the plunger on the drain and push down until you notice that the suction cup seals the drain airtight. You may need to stand on a chair to properly lean over the drain.
5. Move the plunger up and down. Push the plunger handle up and down vigorously about 10 to 20 times. Make sure the suction cup seals the drain airtight, so that suction is created and the plunger loosens the blockage and allows it to rise.
6. Remove the plunger from the drain and see if the drain is still clogged. Shine a flashlight down the drain to check for the blockage. Take out the material clogging the drain if you can see it and you can reach it with your fingers. If you cannot see the material, repeat the above steps until the clog is released.

Method 3 of 4: Using a sewer spring

1. Gather your materials. This method is designed for stubborn blockages, so you need more materials. You need the following:
   • A bucket
   • Screwdriver or pipe wrench
   • Sewer spring (also called an unclogging spring). If you don't have a sewage spring, you can improvise by using a straightened iron wire clothes hanger. Just get a regular iron wire clothes hanger and straighten it as much as possible. Bend one end to make a hook.
2. Place a bucket under the sink. Make sure the bucket is under the siphon, or gooseneck. This is the bent part of the drain pipe that is directly connected to the sewer.
3. Find out how to loosen the siphon. Some siphons are secured with screws, in which case you will need a screwdriver. Other siphons have nuts on both ends of the pipe, which require pipe wrenches to loosen.
4. Remove the siphon. Do this slowly and make sure the bucket is still right under the siphon. Water can flow from the drain and from the small pipes in the siphon, and this should of course go into the bucket.
   • Whether the siphon is secured with screws or nuts, in either case you will have to turn them counterclockwise to loosen them. When the screws or nuts are loose, you can pull them off the siphon with your fingers. Make sure to leave the screws or nuts nearby as you will need them when you reattach the siphon.
5. Find the blockage. First check the siphon itself. If you can see the blockage, use your fingers, the sewer spring or the clothes hanger to get the material out.
   • Usually, the material accumulates in the siphon itself, because the bend in the pipe prevents water from flowing back into the sink.
   • If you can't see the blockage, it may be because the blockage is in the pipe that juts into the wall or floor. In this case you will need a sewer spring and it is not recommended to use a straightened clothes hanger. Insert the head of the sewer spring into the opening of the pipe that protrudes into the wall or floor and slide the sewer spring in further until you feel resistance (probably the blockage). Then tighten the nut at the beginning of the sewer spring and turn the handle to rotate the sewer spring. You can also make an in and out movement with the sewer spring to loosen the blockage. This is a bit like the movement you make with an unblocker. When you no longer feel any resistance at the other end, pull the sewer spring out of the pipe.
6. Reattach the siphon. Use the screwdriver or the pipe wrench to tighten the screws or nuts clockwise. However, do not over-tighten them or the plastic tube may crack.
   • Make sure you have tightened the screws or nuts so that no water leaks from the drain.
7. Turn on the tap. The water should now drain at normal speed, provided the blockage has cleared.

Method 4 of 4: Using a wet and dry vacuum

1. Gather your supplies. Before you start, collect all the materials you need. You need the following:
   • Cloths
   • A bucket
   • Screwdriver or pipe wrench to loosen the siphon
   • A wet and dry vacuum cleaner
2. Place the bucket under the sink. Make sure the bucket is exactly under the siphon under the sink.
3. Remove the siphon. This is the bent part of the drain pipe that is often secured with screws or nuts. Make sure the bucket is right under it to catch any water left in the drain.
   • Depending on how the siphon is attached, use a screwdriver or pipe wrench to turn the screws or nuts counterclockwise to loosen them. Then use your fingers to peel off the detached parts.
4. Check which tube you should connect the wet and dry vacuum to. Each washbasin has a horizontal and a vertical tube that meet at an angle. You will connect the wet and dry vacuum cleaner to the vertical tube, or the tube that leads to the sink.
5. Place the suction nozzle of the wet and dry vacuum cleaner on the vertical tube. Place the squeegee exactly on the bottom of the pipe to make it as airtight as possible.
6. Set the wet and dry vacuum to pick up liquids. A wet and dry vacuum can pick up liquids as well as dry material and in this case it must pick up liquids to loosen the blockage.
7. Stop other openings. By sealing all openings airtight you can create more suction.
   • Hold the squeegee and close the drain in the sink with a plug. Also close all open pipes where the siphon was by tucking cloths into them.
8. Switch on the wet and dry vacuum cleaner. If you don't feel anything moving, it might be a good idea to let some air in the pipe by lifting the drain plug off the drain in the sink for a few seconds.
9. Switch the wet and dry vacuum cleaner on and off. Always switch on the wet and dry vacuum cleaner briefly and then switch it off again. This creates more suction, so that the blockage is released more quickly. This is especially the case if it is a very compact blockage.
10. Continue to use the wet and dry vacuum until the blockage comes out of the tube. If the suction of the wet and dry vacuum cleaner is strong enough, the material can shoot out of the tube and end up in the bag in the vacuum cleaner. If not, you may need to pull the material out of the drain with your hands. The material will have settled down due to the suction of the vacuum cleaner, so that you can easily reach it.
11. Reattach the siphon. Remove the suction nozzle of the wet and dry vacuum cleaner from the drain and reattach the siphon to the drain pipes using a screwdriver or pipe wrench. Make sure to tighten the screws or nuts to prevent water from leaking. However, do not over-tighten them or the plastic tube may crack.

Tips

• If you live in a house built before 1970, the drain to your sink may be made of galvanized iron. Over time, material accumulations can form in such a drain, which completely block the drain, preventing water from flowing out. You will then have to call a professional to have the drain replaced.

Warnings

• Call a plumber or unclogging company if these methods don't work. There may be a more serious problem that must be resolved by a person skilled in the art.